Conman duped 45 victims in £8.5m property scam, posing as solicitor and selling homes he didn’t own
A fraudster who orchestrated one of Britain’s largest property scams, conning dozens of unsuspecting victims out of millions of pounds, is now facing a lengthy prison term.
Anopkumar Maudhoo, who should have been deported 15 years ago after a conviction for using a false identity, instead remained in the UK and went on to run a property fraud valued at more than £8.5 million. His latest sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown Court heard harrowing victim impact statements describing ruined lives, financial devastation, and even serious health consequences.
Prosecutor Simon Wilshire KC told the court that Maudhoo exploited at least 45 victims through two elaborate methods. In one, he posed as “Vincent Lebeouf” of Bluebell Associates Limited, offering what appeared to be heavily discounted properties supposedly on the verge of repossession. To reinforce the deception, he adopted another persona — “Yusuf Khan”, a fictitious solicitor at Taylor Rose — to lend credibility to the deals.
The second method was equally brazen. Maudhoo claimed to be selling properties from a liquidator’s portfolio, promising investors annual returns of 15 to 20 percent. None of the homes he listed were genuinely for sale, nor did he have any legal right to them.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe true owners only discovered what had happened when strangers arrived, believing they had legitimately purchased the properties. Wilshire noted: “One can only imagine the surprise of the homeowner in the house he owned and was paying the mortgage every month.”
Police later described the fraud as “a vast, complex and highly organised scheme”. Detective Inspector Damian Barlow, who led the investigation, condemned the crimes as “truly shocking”, stressing that some victims lost over a million pounds.
Maudhoo, operating under multiple aliases including Pascal Burns and Yusef Khan, funnelled the stolen money into an extravagant lifestyle. He purchased luxury boats and high-end supercars, including several Lamborghinis and a Rolls-Royce.
But behind the show of wealth were devastated victims. One elderly man said the stress from losing his savings caused him to suffer a stroke. Another victim told the court: “The scam robbed me of my life savings and stole my sense of stability.”
The court heard that Maudhoo’s fraud spanned several years, with his first arrest in September 2024. After multiple appearances, he finally admitted 31 offences in June 2025, including fraud, possession of false documents, and perverting the course of justice. He also requested that 53 additional offences be taken into consideration, bringing the total losses to £8.5 million.
Prosecutors revealed that Maudhoo had a history of deception stretching back more than a decade. Following his 2010 conviction for identity fraud, he should have been deported. Yet administrative failures allowed him to remain in the UK, where he exploited the property market with ruthless efficiency.
The Crown confirmed it intends to pursue Maudhoo’s assets under Proceeds of Crime Act legislation, aiming to recover at least part of the millions stolen.
Judge and jury are now weighing a sentence that is expected to reflect both the scale of the fraud and the profound suffering caused. With victims’ lives shattered and public confidence in property transactions shaken, Maudhoo’s case has already been described as one of the most significant property fraud prosecutions in British legal history.
The verdict and final sentence are due imminently, with Maudhoo remanded in custody.